Green bean casserole will be present on most Thanksgiving tables this week, but nothing beats homemade green bean casserole.

Frozen green beans and sautéed mushroom soup swaps out the typical canned ingredients. And the best part, the crispy, crunchy, preservative free topping. The onions take a little love (or patience) but are so worth it. They almost disappeared before making it onto the casserole. I recommend not taste testing because of that reason.

I could honestly skip the turkey, potatoes and pie this year and just eat this savory, creamy casserole. Okay, maybe not forfeit the pie. Happy Thanksgiving!

1. Mushroom Base: Thaw green beans. Chop mushrooms into 1/4″ cubes and sauté over medium heat with olive oil, sea salt and pepper (until they begin to sweat about 3-5 minutes). Add garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes longer. Add flour (I used Trader Joe’s AP gluten free flour blend) to mushrooms and stir to coat evenly. Add the vegetable broth a 1/2 cup at a time, whisking frequently with a fork. Once all broth has been added, cook 1 more minute. Stir in coconut milk and simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens, stirring often (approximately 5-6 minutes). Once thickened, remove from heat and mix with green beans; add additional sea salt and pepper if needed. Pour bean mixture into a greased 11″ x 7″ baking dish, set aside.

2. Crispy Onions: Cut onions in half lengthwise and peel outer layer. Using a sharp knife thinly slice onions. Place cut onions on paper towel and pat to remove excess moisture. Place flour, seasonings and dried onions in zip bag and shake to coat evenly. Shake off excess flour and fry onions on stove top (just until lightly browned) in grapeseed oil in small batches to prevent burning. Set aside on a paper towel, lightly covered with another paper towel to prevent soggy onions.

Make ahead tip: The day before serving assemble casserole through step one, cover and refrigerate. Complete step two half way, slice onions, dry and refrigerate. Mix flour and seasonings, keep sealed in air tight zip bag. Fry onions the day of baking and complete step three.